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Shiprock – A unique rock formation in the dusty New Mexico desert

Shiprock is an isolated rock rising above the high-desert plain of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico. It is the erosional remnant of the throat of a volcano formed around 30 million years ago,. Governed by the Navajo Nation, the formation plays a significant role in Navajo religion, myth, and tradition. In Navajo called Tsé Bitʼaʼí or “the rock with wings,” myth says that the Shiprock was a piece of land that became a bird, carrying the ancestral people of the Navajo on its back. The name “Shiprock” derives from the peak’s resemblance to an enormous 19th-century clipper ship. Due to recent deaths, littering, and vandalism hiking, filming, and driving are all prohibited to the public due to its sacred nature and its sacred space. It is recommended that the public stay at least three miles (4.8 km) away from the formation and 20 feet (6.1 m) from the lava dikes or wall when visiting.